Miscellaneous crafting and surfing

Have you found Pinterest yet? OMG! It's amazing and highly addictive. So, here's the low down: once you have an invite and set up your account, you can set up a series of 'boards' where you can 'pin' items that you find online and what to be able to get back to. How often have you seen a craft idea or a new blog or a cool new product and want to remember where to find it. But, if you bookmarked everything you bookmark list would be a mile long. Just think of it as a series of virtual bulletin boards where you can post all the information. Plus, you can organize all your pins by boards; a recipe board, craft board, tutorial board, blog board, etc., etc. . . . It's AWESOME. Then, not only do you get to organize and get to all these pages you wanted to remember, but, you can see other people's board and their pins and they can see yours. So, it's a great place to get more leads to find cool stuff online and to promote yourself, your blog, friends shops, etc.....

Be careful though. It's a world of it's own and HIGHLY addictive!!! So, what kind of things can you find? All sorts of craft ideas and tutorials. Here's an example for you all.


What happens when you take this:

and this:

along with a little glass cement???

You get THIS:


Cute huh? I think it's a lovely little cupcake, tea sandwiches or pastry stand. It's not big enough to be a full cake but, how many times have you wanted to set out a "little" something and a cake stand is just too big? Like if you are having tea with your bestie. The two of you don't need a full cake but a few treats would look great on this stand.

I can't wait to try it out. . . . .

I also have been posting all sorts of vintage goodies and some of my photographs for sale in my Etsy shop. Wanna see? Go ahead and go take a look, why don't you? Let me know what you all think. . .I'd be really interested in hearing what you all think.

It's official

I am now an Etsy shop owner. My Etsy user name is 'somethinfromtheheart' (I had to drop the 'g' b/c the name was too long).

Funny thing is that I've always wanted to own a shop. A, coffee/tea house, gift, needlework, yarn shop. Y'know? The kind of shop where you go in and there are comfy couches and yarn and cutesy gifts (cards, stationary, simple knick knacks) and you can get a lovely cup of coffee or tea and a scone? Aaaaaaah!

Unfortunately, that brick and mortar store has yet to become a reality BUT I now have an online shop where I can sell some handmade things and some vintage items I've found along the way. Fun, eh?

Right now, I only have vintage items. Well, 4 vintage items. I had 6 but I've sold 2 (awesome right?). I've got a huge boxful of items to photograph and list but I haven't quite gotten them on their as of yet. Hopefully at the end of this week they will all be up and available.

My first handmade items to list will be some facecloths knit/crochet made out of cotton. I want to post knitted items, some temari, some stamped items and some jewelry along with my vintage treasures but, I need to get to making some stuff.

So, when thinking of a store name I was talking it over with the fam and we kept coming up with different ideas and then I said, "no, no, it needs to be something from the heart". Well, DUH! So, the shop is named "Something from the Heart" with the tagline "handmade gifts and vintage treasures". Cute huh?

Go take a gander for a moment. Go ahead. It won't take long and I will still be here waiting for ya.

Something from the Heart shop on Etsy.com

Kind of cute stuff so far, I think. BTW, go back if you have a minute and check out my friend's shop as well Back home vintage.

That's my 'picking' partner. Flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, our ATTICS! We bounce pieces off of each other and help each other decide on purchases and prices to set as well as photographing, etc.

So, cross your fingers and wish me luck.

Hey everyone

So, I have been delinquent on my "Wonderful Wednesday" postings. Life here has been busy. When did that happen???? I remember being able to post much more regularly. I think it's all because of the evil of FACEBOOK . I wish I was stronger to resist but, I am not. Then there's Twitter. Another time and soul-sucking site. Who is evil enough to have developed these sites? Sigh. I wish I was stronger but I am weak and you just never know what your friends might be doing now, or in 5 minutes or 10 minutes from that or another 5 minutes after that, or, well, you get the picture.

Then there's the Temari.









So, what soul time sucking activities are you addicted to involved in???

Why explain?

So, I've a new addiction craft over the last few weeks. It's Temari and I love it. I like the idea that I am doing something that women began to do over 600 years ago. I like the way it feels to make something from nothing. I like the process of picking a design and colors and then working through blending the two. I like the feeling of the needle in my hand and the way the stitches lay next to eachother slowly building the design. I like the way the temari looks when I've completed it. I like seeing them all together and how beautiful they look as a group as well as individually. I like making something beautiful for the sake of beauty itself. I like looking at the finished project and saying "wow, I made that". I like the way DS looks at them and tells me "Mom, that's really cool!" I like the relaxation that comes with the rhythmic stitching and stillness of the needlework. I like TEMARI!

So, WHY do I feel like I must justify myself in this new craft?


Let me explain:

I've been a jack of all crafts my entire life. You name it, I've done it (at least once). Crochet? Check. Macrame? Check. Latch hook? Check. Cross Stitch? Check. Knitting? Check. Card making and stamping? Check. You get the idea. However, I have NEVER had to explain why I do something until I started to make Temari.

I mean, I have had the usual "why would you knit socks when you can buy them?" question but I've never had to answer "what's the purpose of (insert knitted item)?" before. Even when I was making Macrame'd wall hangings (hey it WAS the 70's y'know!) I never had anyone question the point of the completed project. (Even the Sun/Moon macrame wallhanging in the HORRID shades of gold that my Mother insisted on hanging in the living room - God help me).

But make Temari balls and this is the conversation that follows 99.9% of the time after showing the completed ball to someone else:

Me: "Here's my newest Temari."
Them: "Wow, isn't that pretty. What's a temari?"
Me: "It's an ancient japanese craft where you make and stitch these beautiful balls"
Them: "So. . . . . . .what do you do with it?"

EVERY TIME!

Whenever I've shown someone any of my crafts, I've never ran into the "What do you do with it?" or "What's it for?" question before Temari.

My reply is usually "You look at it and say 'Isn't that pretty'!" which inevitably is followed by "Well yes but what is it FOR?"

How do you explain beauty for the sake of beauty? Creation for the accomplishment of creating. But still, there's a nagging feeling of having to justify my crafting with Temari that I've never felt before. Show someone a cross stitched picture of a bunny in a field with trees and no one blinks an eye. Show someone a piece of pulled thread work in an octagonal shape and not a peep. Show someone an abstract painting ala Jackson Pollock - nada. Sand art in an elongated soda bottle? Zip (yep, I did that too!)

Now, I am not saying that any of this is going to slow me down or have me stop stitching Temari but, I find it interesting that the vast majority of responses to these gorgeous pieces of art is "I don't get it".


What's WITH that?


BTW, here's a beauty for you to ponder and admire (b/c you can).

ENJOY!

Things I've done since falling off the face of blogger

1. Recuperated from that REALLY bad accident.

2. Dealt with a ruptured hot water heater (heater in attic - water coming down through second floor and into kitchen on first - fun times)

3. Joined a book club (Woo hoo)

4. Dealt with broken A/C (yep!)

5. Visited my friend for her 40th birthday up in Cleveland!

6. Drove down replacement car for hubby on the way back from Cleveland

7. Got sick on said drive down (on side of road and not in new car - Thank GOD)

8. Helped friend here in NC deal with dog behaviour issues and having to give dog back to breeder (EVERYTHING was tried)

9. Got hooked on "In Plain Sight" and "Swingtown" (hey, I'm allowed some guilty pleasures)

10. Knit unknown quantities of dishcloths (at least 8 or so)

11. Knit this tunic in bubblegum Cotton-ease (ravelry link)

12. Planned a girls weekend away craft extravaganza for August with 3 buddies from my 'hood (ha ha, I said "hood")

13. Dealt with the death of 4 fish (they made the trip all the way down from OH and everything!) - abou 1/month or so - they were old

14. Knit my very first Baby Surprise Jacket (and gave it away without a picture)

15. Got 4 new fish (our pleco was getting lonely)

16. Knit some more on my SOTS-2 (ravelry link again)

17. Bought new living room furniture!

18. Lost 3.5 lbs on Wii Fit!

19. Got hooked on Facebook!

20. Didn't feel guilty about not blogging (well, maybe a little. I DO miss you all)


I will try to get some pictures up of some of my knitting (except the dishcloths - those are already given away)

Speaking it doesn't mean you can knit it

Yes, I am fluent in Spanish. Yes I can read in Spanish. Can I knit in Spanish? er, no. I don't know any of the terminology and I certainly wouldn't be able to figure out any complicated pattern work (SSK, PSSO, KFB - who the heck knows how that is said in Spanish?).

Anyhow, why does that matter? It matters because months ago I found this lovely online zine. It has a few really nice patterns but, heck if I know what they are talking about in the directions!

I added it to my bloglines anyhow thinking that someday I would be adventurous enough to either figure it out or look up the translations somewhere.

Well, guess what? They've translated some of their patterns for me! Yeah! Look at these lovelies. Beautiful no?

Gotta go. Gonna add them to my Ravelry queue!

LOVE THIS!!!!

This is what blogging is truly about and although I've lived it for a while, I am publicly declaring that I now will be

Yeah! Yes there has been knitting. There has also been a baby born to knit for as well. All details will be posted when I can. Right now, I have knitting, crafting and cleaning to do.

Love you all!

Oh Dear,

Seems like I've let quite a bit of time pass since posting notice of completing Cherie and actually getting back on to post a picture! Sorry for the delay but without any further delays, here she is:


I love her! It's the quickest knit I've ever made (besides dischcloths) and I think it's one of my faves so far. No modifications made and the fit was spot on. I know that many knitters have had issues with the neckline decrease portion of the pattern but, I guess I was lucky? I just knit what it said and it seemed to work for me without any questions. The thin/thick quality of the Manos gives it a feel that really appeals to me for this knit so, overall I am happy with the process and the end product!

So, I've been doing quite a bit of knitting in my absence from the blogging world. I've finished clue #1 and started #2 of my Secret of the Stole. Yep, I'm behind but I'm enjoying the knitting so, I am not too concerned about it. I just want to finish and I will be happy to keep myself in check, within 2 clues of the forerunners, until I am done with it.

My heart was broken since I've last blogged but, I will get over it (again). Sigh. There's always next year right?

A couple of weeks ago, we took an overnight trip to Biltmore for their Harvest Celebration. I was hoping that the leaves would be starting to turn for our drive on the most visited Parkway in the US but, alas, not yet. (I bet it's GORGEOUS now!) We had a great time away and enjoyed ourselves. We took our first ever specialty tour at the Estate, the 'rooftop tour'. We got to see some different areas and views that we hadn't seen before. Here are some of my fave shots of that day:






DS has been having a great time this Fall. There are so many more neighborhood kids his age in this development and he's made quite a few friends. There are a core group of 4-6 boys that come over each afternoon to play and jump on our trampoline. It's so cool to have kids FINALLY be able to just ride their bikes over and ask him to play. In Ohio, I always had to organize playdates and have kids dropped off or drop him off somewhere. Then I would have to watch the clock to be able to pick him up in time or make sure that no new games were started too close to pick up time. Now? Now, he goes off with his friends or they come over and they play until they're tired or it gets to be dinner time. LOVE IT! He's also been "booed". . . TWICE! Despite posting the first "boo" sign, we STILL got "booed" a second time. How cool! He also had a ball sneaking over and 'booing' his friends in the dark. Very spyish y'know!

Uh, for those of you that don't know about "booing" here's a link with an explanation and all you need to start your own 'booing'.

Other than that, life's been the same over here. Work. DH traveling (blech). Sunny being sunny. DS being wonderful. It's all good.

Yep.

All good!

I can taste it. . . . . .

tee hee. All the knitting is done.


Now there is just seaming to do.


Woo hoo!

I'm such a two-timer! (psst actual knitting content)

Well, actually, it would be more accurate to say 5 or 6 timer with the number of UFO's I have going right now. Yep, this is a knitting blog and I actually have knitting content! Will wonders never cease? tee hee.

Oh yeah, back to my scandalous ways. So, remember when Ashley recently tempted me with this beauty?. Well, actually I first started to notice Ashley's designs when this first came out. I thought "Wow, that's hot!" albeit a bit impractical for a 40ish suburban mom with that big peek a boo back. I was contemplating it sans said hole but not enough to actually begin it. Then in this month's Magknits we saw Ashley again with this. Once again, it caught my eye but not enough to put me over the edge.

But then. . . . . .

Then there was Cherie Amour. Oh, my. I just went into my best Stevie Wonder when I saw this one.

"My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore. You're the only one my heart beats for. How I wish that you were mine. . . . . . . ."

ahem.

Anyway. I fell and I fell hard. So hard that I went out immediately and purchased (yikes, I know I know) the yarn for it. Now in my defense, I searched my stash but alas I had no yarn in sufficient quantity and correct gauge for this one. So, purchase it was. Thankfully I still had some credit on the gift certificate that DH got me for Christmas last year (yep! I can show restraint when I want to, see?). I did have to purchase a 24" size 13 circular but, that's beyond the point.

So, cast on I did and after just 3 knitting sessions, this is where I am:

Isn't she beautiful? (uh, the sweater I mean). I love it. I would be much further along had it not been for some snaffoos I had yesterday in the neckline decreases. I had to knit and unknit a total of 12 rows (knit 2 1/2 - realize a mistake - unkit 2 1/2 - knit 4 1/2 - find mistake - unknit 2 1/2, etc.) That's what I get for knitting while watching college football I guess. But, I'm happy with the results and glad to have fixed all my mistakes. I'm so close to the end I can't stand it.

Specifics: Cherie Amour
Fall 2007 Knitty
24" addi-turbo circulars in both US 9 and US 13
Manos del Urugay kettle dyed wool
Color 107

My goal is to have her done before the start of Secret of the Stole. I think I can do it. What do you all think?

She's really outdone herself this time

Alright, so you all know how much I LOVE my friend Amy's knitting bags? I own 3 myself and have gifted quite a few as well. They are just great project bags and are very well made.


Well, she's got some new ones that are so so cool! She's starting a retro inspired "Jetsons" Series with "Daughter Judy" and "Jane his Wife" which are darling. PLUS, "Jane his Wife" supports the Susan G. Komen Foundation as she is donating part of the profits to the foundation. Go take a gander and check them out.

Fun, fun and more fun

I've been pretty negligent in my posting. I received my "Pay it forward" gift last week and never posted about it. Moriah really outdid herself with my package:

Look at what a great graphic she came up with:

I think I might just have to steal that for my PIFs! And the soap was so wonderful! Thanks again Moriah!

I've been working on assorted dishcloths myself in preparation for my part of the dishrag tag. Y'know, finding a pattern that is interesting yet quick to knit. However, my team's box seems to have gotten lost on it's way to me from California! Ugh! Oh well, the race is over - Congrats to the winners! - but I still want to get the box so that everyone in my team gets a turn at it. Hopefully it will turn up soon. No pictures of the cloths I've made as I have gifted them to ladies at work.

I've been working on my chevron scarf and it's coming along nicely. I'm more than half way through the yarn and should have a finished product relatively soon. I'm waiting until that time to take a final picture and then post. It's going to be so pretty! Question is, do I keep it or gift it? Not sure yet. We'll see when it's done.

Lastly, I was playing around on knitter crack and somehow came across this pattern. How could I resist? Let me start off by saying that I used stash yarn to complete it and it just took 1 1/2 days. So quick and easy too! Wanna see mine? OK. . . . . .



I used a pale green Paton's Grace - it took less than a skein to make. Really this was such a fun, quick and entertaining knit. The fact that the yarn I used is a cotton yarn actually makes it, dare I say, wearable. Let me tell you, the fit is really nice and it's comfortable. I was really surprised as I thought it would never work as a garment. HAHAHAHAHA. I was thinking that I would make an I-cord and use elastic thread in the center of the I-cord to make it more wearable (vs. the ribbon).

Whodda thunk it?

ADDED 9/9/07


Click here to create your own painting.

I can't help falling in love

I really can't. I am hopelessly in love with my chevron scarf. It's SUCH a pleasing, relaxing and rewarding knit. I took new photos to show the progress here and on Ravelry. So, without further adieu my chevron scarf as of this morning:













How can I resist this?

Crazy, CRAZY I tell you!

Yep, that would be me. Crazier than a LOON! So, not only did I already have too many UFO's on the needles throughout this house, not only am I expecting my team's box from the Dish Rag Tag this week, not only do I need to complete my Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 sock. . . . . .I started a Chevron Scarf. I don't usually fall prey to the "it" project (I still have not knit a jaywalker or a clapotis) but this one, I just couldn't pass up AND it's from stash yarn. Bonus!

I know, I KNOW. I stink. I can't help it though. Everyone has all those beautiful scarves everywhere on the blogosphere and in Ravelry. Have you seen these things? How could I resist?

So, want to take a looksy? Here it is:

You can see a couple of more shots of it on my Flickr page. It's about 3 or 4 times longer now and I can't put it down. It's an addictively easy and fun knit. I see a couple or more of these at some point in the future but hopefully not before I finish a couple of other things.

Hopefully.

Now, don't you want to make one too? C'mon, you know you do!

PIF exchange

OK,so you all know that I am in the Dish Rag Tag right? So, we are off and running and I was reading my team's forum so that I could participate with my team mates and find our just where we are in the race. So I started to do a little blog surfing among my team mate's blogs. I found information on the PIF Exchange from Alicia who found it from Alaina who got it from Jody. I was able to join in from Moriah's blog. So, just reading that last couple of sentences should give you a 'sense' of what it's all about. Here is the gist of the exchange (taken blatantly from Alaina's blog).

PIF Exchange

This exchange is based on this gorgeous movie with Helen Hunt in it called 'Pay It Forward'. How many of you out there have had a chance to watch it? O.K. If you've yet to see the movie, this is what the PIF Exchange is all about......


"Here is how it works! I'll send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don't know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week...LOL... but you will receive it within 365 days, that's a promise! and it will be something yummy!! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog..."

So the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog, will get something made for them by me! I can't wait to see who you are! I should be able to come up with something good for you all, just you wait and see! Let me know you want in and if you are among the first 3, you'll be in! I'll need your email address when you comment so that I know how to reach you to obtain your address, ok?

Join in and then just pay it forward!

Linda J. Villar, 41

disclaimer: the start of this post and parts of it are 'bummers' but there is light and hope interspersed throughout. Hang in there while reading, kay?

It's been so long since I have blogged regularly or with any substance really. Those of you who have followed me for a while now know that I have these times. Usually it's because I am in the midst of a depressive episode. I 'retreat' into myself and then when it's time, when it's passed, I resurface. It's a cyclical pattern that is triggered by anything, or nothing at all. I've been 'away' again because of another 'black' period. Not so horrible this time as others, but bad enough. I've given up on trying to analyze and pinpoint what set these episodes off. It's too much work and frankly, is of no use to me. The reasons are so varied and random that I can't really use the information to prevent this so, I just do what I must to get through it and then push on.

Thankfully, I am on the upswing. I have done a lot of selfish self-preservation, thinking, and praying to get back on the upswing. I questioned why this is so hard for me and why I am the way that I am. It usually (eventually) comes back to my realization that I am the sum of all my parts and this disease is one of the parts that MUST be there for the whole to be what it is. Just like in everything else, you must take the good with the bad. There are no free rides in life are there?

So, what is the name above you might ask? Well, it's my part in contributing to the Mother's Day Project. Have you heard of it yet? You might have so I won't go into too many details. If you haven't, it's all described here.

I read about the project, contacted Anne and was put on the list of contributors. Last week I got my name.

LINDA J. VILLAR

That is my casualty for the project. I started reading through blogs of others that have joined this project. Someone brought up a good point. Why do we use the word "casualty" when describing the death of someone in a war? What's so "casual" about war or death at all for that matter? There are many words in the English language that enrage me for their callousness in how they are used. Example: I am a nurse. I HATE when people at work speak of a patient having 'expired' - Milk expires, library book loans expire, magazine subscriptions expire. . . . people DIE. We aren't something that gets 'used up' or goes 'bad'. Someones passing is not a passive act - it's an action. A verb. They die. A death actively affects others - their parents, spouses, children, friends. . . . they all feel the loss ACTIVELY. For me, using such a passive term (expires) somehow lessens the significance of the loss, of their LIFE. It is one of the banes of my nursing existence and enrages me each time I hear it used.

"Casualty of War" - that's another one of those terms. I am sure that Linda's husband & family did not find anything casual in their loss in early June of 2005 especially when I am sure they were planning her homecoming party - she was due to come home July 13th.

I do not find anything 'casual' in the intertwining of Linda and myself. There are so many commonalities between us that can NOT be the cause of just 'casual' circumstances. She was 41 at the time of her death - my age now. We both have husbands and children. Her daughter was 11 at the time - my DS will be 11 this year. She adopted New Orleans as her home after moving there during high school - DH and I lived there for 3 years and still feel it is a part of who we are. She was a CIVILIAN at the time of her death serving as support staff to the US Army troops there - my cousin Ana is a civilian in the US Air Force and her job very closely follows along the lines of what Linda did (Ana is also a USAF reservist (Sergeant no less) after having served full time in the USAF right out of high school - she's my hero even if she is 4 years younger than me!). So, as you can see, Linda and I have quite a bit in common and I truly feel that it is not coincidental that I got her name. This is what the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count page notes about Linda:

U.S. Dept. of the Army Civilian Linda J. Villar
Age: 41
From: Franklinton, Louisiana
Assigned To: Field Support Command
Based In: Fort Stewart, GA
Fatality Date: Friday, June 03, 2005
Fatality Cause: Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack
Fatality Location: Baghdad, Iraq

Here is what the US Army Materiel Command said about Linda in the commentary about the Villar Memorial Room:

[Villar, acting chief, 3rd Infantry Division logistics support element, Baghdad, Iraq, was killed when an insurgent mortar round struck Camp Liberty, June 3, 2005. She was the first AMC civilian killed while serving in Iraq. “Linda leaves behind a reputation of excellence; she leaves behind a reputation that serves for all of us that wear this uniform, whether you’re a civilian or military. Linda Villar is a tremendous example for all of us to look up to and remember,” said Gen. Benjamin S. Griffin, AMC commanding general and host of the ceremony. Villar, 41, spent most of her 24 years of civilian service with AMC, including the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center, the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command, and the U.S. Army Field Support Command. Her awards include the Defense of Freedom Medal, the Meritorious Civilian Service Award and the Army Achievement Award. “Anyone that didn’t meet her really missed a great opportunity. She really touched everybody, and anyone that crossed paths with her knows what I mean,” said Villar’s husband David, a logistics assistance representative, Fort Stewart, Ga.]

Linda was a Master's educated woman who chose to put herself in harm's way in order to serve and support the men and woman who serve and support our country and our freedom. By all accounts that I have read she was a remarkably kind, compassionate and giving human being. So much so that Fort Stewart dedicated a room in her honor in December of 2005. That was the month I turned 40 years old. I was surrounded by family and friends honoring my life in a happy, joyful manner while Linda's family and friends honored her life in a deeper and sorrowful way. Two families honoring woman at virtually the same time in such meaningful yet contrasting ways. How often does that happen? How much of our joy and elation is 'countered' in this universe by someone else's sorrow and pain?

So, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about Linda and her family this past weekend. I took the opportunity to thank God that I am so fortunate for all that I have and to feel blessed that I am here to see my son grow up and to grow old with my husband. I prayed for my family, my friends and for all those who serve and died serving this country. I thought about how I would pay tribute to Linda with the project and I decided to stitch her name in RED for the project. Red to symbolize my anger and rage. Red to symbolize the heart of this woman that gave her life so selflessly. Red to symbolize the LOVE this woman had for life and her family. Red to symbolize the blood that she shed for this cause.

I will stitch and I will pray and I will cry and I will be thankful for my life and all my blessings.

Thank you Linda and may you continue to rest in peace.

I'm so dead

Remember yesterday?

Remember this?


Well, she got a big sister today:













Sigh. I love her. Here are a few close-ups of some details:


I love the hammered silver rings. You can't tell in the picture but they have some character in them with the impressions left from the hammering. Too cool. I love the way the links of the chain mimic the look of the stones. Yeah for good "karma" when crafting.

Here they are together:


See? THIS is why hubby should NEVER leave me alone. It's a bad, bad thing. In my defense though, I had one lonely solitary bead left after making the bracelet yesterday and I didn't have a coordinating necklace and I just COULDN'T let that one bead go to waste. I probably would have lost it somewhere along the way. . . . .

That's what I'm going with anyway.

Will post my call for AI after the show tonight. Got some straight K1 P1 to keep me occupied without needing to concentrate on what I am doing.

Lookie what I did today!

It all started innocently enough. Really. DH is out of town and I was running a few errands he left for me to do for him. Good wife, right? OK, so I went to the usual coffee and bagel place and sat there for about an hour drinking my coffee and knitting. Great and relaxing time. I made good progress on Arwen so I was really happy. All is good so far for the day. So, then I went on my way to run the errands and while I was doing that I drove by a store that I've been meaning to check out.

Love the store. Very ecclectic with lots of cool items. So, I found a very pretty set of earrings (dangling gold tone hoopy earrings) on the clearance table (woo hoo). I then found a cool long necklace, double chain with amber colored beads & hoops with gold-tone chains. Score! Cost of the two? $22 (including tax) - Gotta love them clearance tables.

So, then I was thinking of what I was going to wear with them. . . . and the OCD kicked in when I realized that I had absolutely no bracelet that would match. Dang!

What's a girl to do? I went to the bead shop that I have been meaning to check out and made this:




Love it and it looks GREAT with the earrings and necklace. While I was there I saw the coolest big chunky glass beads and I HAD to have them. So, I made this:














I tried to get the spacers in between the beads with the close-up but I don't think it showed up well. Anyway, they are just silver balls but they make the chunky glass really 'pop'.

Total for the two? $30. Man oh man I LOVE being crafty. . . . . .

until tonight when I totally screwed up the shoulder short rows of Arwen and had to rip out about 8-10 rows of work. That's what I get for knitting and watching AI at the same time. Good thing is that I just ended up back where I was when I left the coffee shop. Sigh. It's worth it though. This is my first major sweater (well, first sweater period), my first cabling and my first piecing together of a project/garment so I want it to be right. BTW, I am holding off on calling my elimination predictions on the AI contestants until after I watch the girls perform.

Gotta go review my short row tutorials now.